The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson has laid off 10 nurse educators and four others in its latest downsizing effort, according to The Clarion-Ledger.
The 14 affected will continue in their roles until Sept. 30 and will receive "priority status" for any open positions they are qualified to fill, according to The Clarion-Ledger.
Marc Rolph, UMMC's associate director of public affairs, said UMMC made the decision to eliminate those jobs because of overlapping responsibilities.
"Each floor has a dedicated nurse educator — the employees affected in this reduction were more global to the institution," he said. "Also, our organization is moving toward providing more content using electronic platforms as necessary. No programs or initiatives will be affected negatively because of this."
Regarding the current layoffs, Mr. Rolph said there has been no revenue shortfall. UMMC has actually improved its finances — in 2012 it has $691 million in total net assets, and by 2014 that number reached $747 million. Net income increased from $4.6 million in 2012 to $22.5 million in 2014.
In 2012, the medical center laid off 115 employees, including administrators, nurses, technicians and support staff, and left another 90 positions vacant, resulting in an overall 2 percent workforce reduction. UMMC officials pointed to the cost of providing medical care to patients without insurance and implementing EHRs as reasons for the job cuts.